Combined broom-head holder and shaper.



No. 734,428. PATBNTED JULY 21,1903.

T. Mo-E. GILL.

COMBINED BROOM HEAD HOLDER AND SHAPER.

APPLICATION rum) no. 6, 19oz.

no MODEL H lllllml l H lmi hmn f 'll |i INVENTOH fioiflas GLZZ UNITEDSTAT s Patented July 21, 1903.

ATENT OFF-ICE;

THOMAS MOE. GILL, or MEX-IOQWMISSOURI.

COMBINED B ROOIlIIIjH E 'AD HOLDER AND SHAPER.

SPEGIFICATIONmrmjng part of LettersiPatentNo. 734,428, dated July 21,1903. Application filed December 6, TSerial No. 184,136. (No model.)

To all whom it may ooncerm Be it known that I, THOMAS MOE. GlLL,acitizen of the United States,- and a resident'of Mexico, in the countyof Andrain-and State of Missouri, have made certainnewandrusefulImprovements in a Combined Broom-Head- Holder and Shaper, of which thefollowingis a specification; 1

My invention relates to an improvement in broom holders and supportsdesigned to be attached to a'wallorother locality, and has for itsobject to'provide a-device which will support and clamp a broom-head'andat the same time restore and preserve the normal shape of the broomhead. To these ends it consists in the novel construction, arrangement,and combination of the various parts;

clamp-bar. Fig. 4 is aview ofa modification.

Fig. 51s a perspective view of amodification. Fig. 6 is aviewshowing oneform of clampbar having an integral incline projection.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a board secured to the wall of aroom, or it may designate the wall itself. To said board is secured theblock B by'means of a screw. A bail O, shaped as shown and consistingofthe cranked cross-bar O and the side arms 0 C is attached to saidblock B by the staples c c or other suitable means so as to normally setaway from and swing on said block, or said cross -bar C may be passedthrough a hole bored through the block from side to side. Fitted in saidblock' at ;a suitable point is a plug or socket G which is internallythreaded to receive the threaded end cl of a bentlever D. Secured to theboard A a suitable distance below block B is a horizontal bar E, which Ishall designate as the lower clamp bar. The outer faceofjsaidclamp baris concaved at E, as shown in Fig. 1.

Mountedon the side arms G C of bail C is the upper clamp-bar F, which isprevented from sliding off said arms by washers 0 to which the ends ofsaid arms G Q are riveted. Said clamp-bar F is somewhat shorterthan thelower clamp-bar E and is provided on its whichmay be integral with theclamp-bar F, or it maybe anangular spring wire or plate forminganinclined plane, the bent end of which is inserted or secured inclamp-bar F and the free endseated in a notch f, made in the outerfaceof, clamp-bar.

The inner face of upper clamp-bar F is .concaved, so that when theadjacent faces of the upper and lower clamp-bars are brought together anelliptical opening-or space is left between them, which opening isdesigned to receive the head of a broom. The lower clamp-bar E is madeslightly longer at one end than the upper clamp-bar F and isprovidedwith a projecting stop e, against whichthe end of the upperclamp-bar rests to prevent lateral movement of said upper clamp-barinthat direction. To the inner face of clamp;bar F, at either or bothends, 'I secure; curved plate-spring G, which when tightly'clampedagainst a broom-head will assunre thejelliptic shape of the openingbetween the two clampbars, but when pressure is relieved will contractthe size of said opening orspaee, and

outer. face ,with ian inclined projection F,

thus accommodate variations in shape andthickness of brooms; The end ofsaid springs is embedded in or otherwise secured to the clamp-bar.

The pivotal end of bent lever D is preferably passed through anornamentahflange or button H, and thus affords a'better bearing for saidpivotal end of thelever. 111 using my device the lever D is moved to oneside, and the bail carrying the upper clamp-bar is swung upwardly,carrying said clamp-bar away from the lowerclamp-bar. The large end ofbroom-head is then placed against the lower clamp-bar, the handle of thebroom hanging downwardly, the upper clamp brought down against thebroom-head, and the bent lever D in place. The pressure put upon theupper clamp-bar may be adjusted and regulated by screwing the pivotalend (I of lever D inwardly or outwardly in socket or plug 0. Toreleasethe broom the lever D is moved to the side, sliding down theinclined surface of projecmy device if after usinga broom a smallhandrake or comb is used to straighten out the straw at the end of abroom and the broomhead then placed between the clamp bars and firmlyclamped and left for some time the broom-head will be pressed into itsnormal shape, so that it will be practically impossible to tell whichwas the worn or bent corner of the broom.

My device will be placed on the wall at such a height that the end ofthehandle of a broom will rest against the base or washboard of theroom, and to prevent the lateral displacement of the broom-handle byaccident a springclamp K will be secured to said base or washboard andsecurely clamp the end of thehandle.

Instead of placing the plate-spring on the inner face of the clamp-bar aform of clampbar similar to that shown in Fig. 4: may be used. In thisform the clamp-bar E has a saw-kerf 6 near one end, and the plate-springe is secured at its end on one side of the saw-kerf, thus forcing theshorter portion of the clamp-bar inwardly and whereby the said clamp-barwill accommodate and adjust itself to varying thicknesses and shapes ofbroomheads.

' It will be seen that I produce a broom holder and support whichperforms the double office of support and a shaper to preserve andrestore the shape of a broom-head, and thus lengthen the life andservice of a broom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a lower clamp-bar,a swin ging upper clamp-bar adapted to rest 011 the face of abroom-head, and means for forcing said upper clamp-bartoward the lowerclampbar and holding a broom-head between said clamp-bars and pressingsaid broom to its normal shape.

2. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a concaved lowerclampbar secured to a suitable base,an upper clampbar, an inclinedprojection on the outer face of said upper clamp-bar, a bail supportingthe upper clan1p-bar, and means for engaging the inclined projection 011the upper clamp-bar and forcing the said clamp-bar toward the lowerclamp-bar, whereby a broom-head will be held between the saidclamp-bars.

3. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a concaved lowerclampbar secured to a suitable base, a concaved upper clamp-bar, aswinging bail secured to the base and supporting at its lower ends theupper clamp, an inclined projection on the outer face of the upperclamp-bar, a lever pivotally secured to the base and adapted to engagethe inclined projection. on the outer face of said upper clamp-bar,whereby when said lever is swung to one side it will ride up theinclined projection and force the upper clamp bar toward the lower clamp-bar and securely hold a broom-head inserted between the opposingconcaved faces of the two clamp-bars.

l. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a base, a blocksecured to said base, a bail pivotally secured to said block, a lowerclamp-bar secured to said base below the block,and having its outer faceconcaved, a projecting stop secured to the outer face of the lowerclamp-bar at or near one end thereof, an upper clamp-bar secured to thelower end of the bail, one end of said upper clamp-bar engaging theprojecting stop on the lower clamp -bar, a bent lever pivotally securedto the block adapted to engage at its free end with the inclinedprojection on the outer face of the upper clamp-bar, whereby when saidleveris moved to one side the lower end will ride up the inclinedprojection and force the upper clamp-bar toward the lower clamp-bar andsecurely clamp a broom-head inserted between said clamp-bars.

5. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a base, a blocksecured to said base, a cranked bail pivotally secured to said block andprovided with downwardlyprojecting side arms, an upper clamp-bar securedto the ends of said arms, a lower clampbar secured to said base belowthe block, curved plate-springs secured at the ends of the upperclamp-bar on its inner face, and means for forcing the upper clamp-bartoward the lower clamp bar, whereby the plate-springs will engage andclamp a broom-head inserted between said clamp-bars, the plate-sprin gsassuming the shape of the broom-head.

6. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a base, a blocksecured. to said base, an intern ally threaded socket seated in saidblock, a bent lever having one end threaded and engaging with saidsocket, a cranked bail pivotally secured to said block, a lowerclamp-bar having a concaved outer face and secured to said bail, anupper clampbar having its inner face concaved and secured to the lowerend of the bail, an inclined projection on the outer face of'said upperclamp-bar adapted to be engaged by the lower free end of said bentlever, whereby when said lever is swung to one side it will engage andride up the inclined projection on the upper clamp-bar and force saidclamp-bar toward the lower clamp-bar and securely clamp the head of abroom inserted between the said clamp-bars and press the said broom-headinto its normal shape.

7. A combined broom head holder and upper clamp-bar, a stop projectingfrom the outer face of the lower clamp-bar at or near one end andadapted to engage one end of the upper clamp-bar, a lever pivotallysecured at one end to the block and adapted to engage at its lower freeend with the inclined projection on the outer face of upper clamp-bar,whereby when said lever is moved to one side its lower end will ride upthe' said inclined projection and force the upper clamp-bar toward thelower clam p-bar and securely hold a broom head inserted between saidclampbars, the opposing concaved faces of the clamp-bars restoring andpreserving the normal shape of the broom-head.

8. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a base, a lowerclamp-bar secured to said base, a bail pivotally secured to said base,an upper clamp-bar secured to the lower end of said bail, aspring-section secured to the end of said upper clamp-bar, and means forforcing said upper bar toward the lower clamp-bar whereby a broom-headinserted between the clamp-bars will be securely held, thespring-section and clamp-bar assuming the shape of the broom-head.

9. A combined broom head holder and shaper comprising a base, a lowerclamp-bar secured to said base, an upper. clamp-bar, an inclined springprojection on the outer face of said upper clamp-bar, a bail pivotallysecured to said base and supporting at its lower ends said upperclamp-bar, and a lever having one end pivotally secured to the base andits free end adapted to engage the inclined projection on the face ofthe upper clamp-bar, whereby the upper clamp-bar may be forced towardthe lower clamp-bar and clamp, a broom-head between the said bars.

THOMAS MCE. GILL.

WVitnesses J. D. MOKEE, WALLACE BEARING.

